Joe made my trip! I had an excellent experience…read more My father was born and raised in the Bronx, but this is my first time in NYC. I am very interested in my father's upbringing, and wanted to see his neighborhood, as well as important personal landmarks. Several people- including other local tour guides, told me this neighborhood was too dangerous and I should do something else with my time. Joe met me at my hotel, and we took the subway together to the old neighborhood. Not only did Joe make me feel safe, he was friendly, knowledgeable, and prepared. He brought pictures of special landmarks, like my father's apartment building (which no longer exists) and my father's favorite candy shop, which has been a bodega for decades. He was also able to tell me a great deal about the history of the neighborhood. I strongly recommend Joe to anyone looking for a tour guide.

Joe is awesome! If you are thinking about a tour of Harlem or any tour that Joe offers, do it. We…read morebooked the Harlem tour at 10pm the night before. He met us at our hotel promptly the next afternoon, took us on the subway and chatted with us the whole time. Joe is very personable. We arrived in Harlem in 15 -20 mins later and began our tour the minute we exited the station. We were stopped a few times, because Joe is well-known in Harlem, being a native. Folks love him, and we understand why. He is a genuinely nice guy who loves his city and is proud of his and its culture. Joe's knowledge of the city and it's history made for an informative experience. If we had more time in NYC, we certainly would have booked him again for another tour in a different part of the city. Do yourself a favor and book a tour with Joe!

I think our first safari was "Iconic New York", which was not only instructive but also fun-- and…read morewe came home with a stunning number of wonderful images. Prior to that we'd been on other photo trips with noted photographers like Ken Rockwell, but NYC Photo Safari offered much more detailed "hands-on" instruction and feedback about our shots. It was a very fulfilling experience and after three hours we had more great shots than we ever got during three days of shooting elsewhere. Since then we've gone on almost all of the safaris; e.g., Iconic NY Parts 1&2, Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park and Composition Boot Camp. The pictures we captured were good enough that we've printed and sold many of them. Another interesting aspect of these tours is that they attract interesting people from all over the world. A few months ago we completed a recent nighttime 3-1/2 Bridges Tour that involved taking just about every mode of transit NYC has to offer. Again it was a superb time and yielded a bevy of presentation-quality, marketable images.

On September 15th,16th and 17th 2017 I was fortunate to have attended Manhattan Photo Boot Camp - 3…read morefull day session. Each day, the photo sessions started at 12:30 pm and ended approximately 10:30 pm each evening touring every part of Manhattan in every direction. It sounds like alot but each day just flew by. The instructors were incredibly professional and patient. They imparted their vast photographic knowledge, taking their time to explain the composition and reason/purpose of each shot. It was a lot of information and I definitely grow as a photographer. I want give big thank you Zim, who took her time to answer all of my question not matter how insignificant. She help me "think outside the box" to examine some of my preconceived ideas and in a new light (no pun intended...not). Thank you, Thank you Zim for opening eyes and ears and to new ideas and images. Your generosity and support was very much appreciated. Anyone who is thinking of taking a 3 hours or 3 day session with NYC Photo Safari, you will not be disappointed. Enjoy !!!

We got a Groupon for this place, which makes the price a lot more reasonable. They don't open until…read more1 pm on the weekends, and on Saturdays they don't even give guided tours. Instead, they give an "augmented reality" audio tour which is kind of hit or miss. The house was preserved for the historical significance of the Townsend family, one of which was a spy for George Washington. I didn't feel there was a ton of information on the family though. Pointing their phone at the different objects in a room turned on audio about them, but only a couple of rooms in the actual house were interactive. The rest didn't have signs, and one loan employee was around to answer questions at the end. The exhibit in the visitor center was nice though. I just don't think the AR experience was really up to replacing a person, both in amount of information and the uncanny valley, unnerving portraits. There is street parking and a nearby lot that are free on weekends. The gift shop is minimal. It was an okay spot to visit, but I would recommend coming on Sunday or whenever they offer actual tours to get a more thorough understanding of the house and the history of the people who lived here.

We went here on a winter weekend, and were fortunate to have the builsings to ourselves. The…read morehelpful staff took out modest admission fee and explained that they don't do tours on Saturdays but they do have tour devices using augmented reality. That means that when you walk through the buildings, you scan the cell phone device on important paintings and artifacts and they talk to you with further information about who or what they are. The small building that contains the entrance is packed with paintings, dioramas, documents and artifacts. Next you walk to the main house, built in the 1730's, and housing the Townsend family. At the time of the Revolutionary War, Samuel had to make room for a British colonel. In spite of the fact that he sympathised with the patriots, he maintained good relations with his "Guest." At the time of the war, the house had eight rooms. One of his sons was one of the leaders of the Culpepper Spy Ring, Placing the home on the National Registry of Historic Places. Each room was elegantly decorated, with the exception of the space for the enslaved housekeeper. In spite of the fact that we didn't get a formal tour, the staff member tagged along with us and kept up a spirited conversation - even giving us a bonus look at the Victorian wing which doubled the size of the structure. The house is said to be haunted, of course. Very highly recommended. The full set of photos can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/terryballard/albums/72177720323110655

Nice large venue, I decorated for a wedding last weekend. You only have 90 minutes to setup so make…read moresure you have lots of help. They provide tables, chairs, tablecloths, runners, chair covers and sashes. I only used their tablecloth, I had my own chair covers and a chiffon runner for the table. You can only view the venue on Saturday's from 10-11 am. They responded to all my emails relatively quickly. DecorbyDuBois

The folks working in this spot are fun and have great customer service! The only downfall is the…read morehour and half to set up. Other than that, this pace is very nice. The set up is great! Bar off to the back, a stage for the guest(s) of honor or for the dj. This space is large and there is another space in the basement.

Gibson station is a nice little station that is clean and convenient (if you live nearby). There is…read morea lot of parking (not sure why you'd park though as you can walk there pretty easily), there are a few convenient shops nearby where you can grab some food. I would avoid Goldies Restaurant though (unless you're a fan of creepy clown depictions and crappy food). The station has an automated ticket machine and see through garbage cans, what more can you ask for?

One of the better small stations on LIRR. Well lit and near some busy local shops so even during…read moreoff peak hours the place never feels deserted. The only down side is that you can only reach it on one line since it is south of the split at Valley Stream.

Brookville Park , this summer has been a great place for running definitely rather than relaxing…read more Running very early in the morning was one of the best things I've ever did in my life it's very enjoyable. (With music) I'd have to say the park starts getting busy around the Afternoon depends on the weather. Around night time it's a nice peaceful run(don't walk slow and take your precious time) I couldn't really say if it's dangerous to be honest because whenever I run at night time nothing really happens. But I always look around and behind me just for safety.

Love this park. Been coming here for a couple years…read more Pros: the park is huge and has several attractive components: double tennis court, several basketball court, a soccer/ football field, picnic areas,functioning bathrooms and a bike path. Cons: There is no official parking lot. There are about 12 spots on the side near 147th St. and street parking on Brookville. The park much like most of the adjacent areas can present some safety issue. It's not well lit at dusk and there are some secluded areas. While I've never had any unpleasant encounters. I remain vigilant at all times. Err on the side of caution always. I keep my AirPods on transparent so that while I'm listening to music, I am aware at all times and I keep a pepper spray ( I know it's illegal ) on me whenever I'm there. I'd rather get a ticket for having the spray than be vulnerable. I also circle back to my car in between miles. Most importantly, I use the park during popular hours to make sure there are plenty people around.